Day 42 - Sunday, June 21
Start - Dighton, KS
End - Scott City, KS
Miles (on the route) - 24.0
Miles (total) - 27.75
Avg Spd - 11.2mph
Max Spd - 17mph
Total ride time - 2:26
I woke up feeling surprisingly well and wondering if I could accomplish a repeat of yesterday. It was going to be hot again and climb up into the 90s. The knees started out a bit stiff but without the pain that had been plagueing me through Missouri. I hoped the flatter territory would give them a break and it has seemed to help a bit so far.
I headed for Scott City and stopped to do some laundry, get lunch, and maybe take a dip in the city pool and cool off. Clean clothes are always nice, and I found a small mexican restaurant where I had some amazing fajitas while watching spanish language WWE wrestling. A fine afternoon. After lunch I debated whether I should get a move on or go for a swim and wait for it to cool, and while heading down the road I noticed some loaded touring bikes outside a taco joint. I stopped in to say hello, curious if it was anyone I had already met or if it may be some new people.
Inside I met Tim and Cindie Travis who at first appeared to be just another pair of transamers. But they soon revealed a major distinction, informing me they have been cycling all over the globe for seven years! That's right, seven years! I've heard of people doing this but I didn't figure I'd meet anyone like this. As you can imagine, upon learning of this I was flooded with more questions than I could possibly ask. Their story in brief is that they are from Arizona, Tim has wanted to do this for a long time and eventually Cindie joined in on the idea. They have lived frugally and had a substantial savings that would allow them to travel for a few years. He was a teacher and she was a geologist, but didn't feel they had to be confined to the traditional societal roles. So why not? They now support themselves through sales of the books they have written and website advertisements and such. So that said...
We discussed their lifestyle at length, the challenges and the unique experiences of travelling through countries such as China, Laos, Vietnam, Australia, and many others. They have obviously amassed an amazing wealth of knowledge and global perspective through these travels, and talking with them had me anxious to hear everything I could from them. One of the most astounding details of their story was the fact that they left within the first few months after September 11th, and didn't return to the states for any significant amount of time until the last six months. They are now touring the United States in what they have come to find is a completely different country. Tim and Cindie have been shocked by how polarized our society has become. It was strange to think about at first, but I can't imagine the changes I would notice if I had been absent from the US since September 11th. So much has happened. It was probably a blessing in some ways to be abroad for the last several years.
We talked for about an hour or two and decided we would all go to the pool and relax and get showers. They were tempting me to camp in the city park with them but I felt the pull to move on and do more than just 25 miles for the day. I couldn't decide, but I eventually reminded myself the point of the trip wasn't to put on miles. I wasn't out here just to get there, but to enjoy as much here as I could along the way. After reminding myself of that, I knew spending more time with these unique two was an opportunity I shouldn't pass up! Besides their amazing story, they were an enjoyable, amusing couple. They were all around good company. We made our way back to the park after the pool and relaxed in the sun and made camp. It wasn't long until who should join us but Anna. She did another good day and caught right up with me. It was a good group and we got some ice cream and talked into the evening. I enjoyed talking politics with Tim who was rather balanced on the political spectrum, despite what you might stereotypically expect from a 7 year traveller.
I'd be leaving Tim and Cindie the next day, but they would be continuing on their current trek from Alaska down to LA and then across to NY. I've posted their website for people to check out and keep up to date on their amazing journey. I was amused to find their website is called down the road, a saying I've been using since meetin people early in my ride. It hasn't been until lately that I've discovered this is a sort of universal saying amongst the touring riders. It seems fitting, see you down the road.